Suspicion of bribe in Submarine settlement

This Wednesday, Argentine police searched the headquarters for the Argentine navy and the former Buenos Aires department of the German supplier Ferrostaal in the search of evidence connected to the submarine ARA San Juan’s settlement 15. The German company is suspected of having bribed the Argentine navy.

Ferrostaal and battery supplier EnerSys-Hawker allegedly paid the bribe back in 2011, in order to get a 6 million dollar contract for new batteries for the submarine.

According to the German news agency DPA, the companies allegedly suggested the Argentine navy that the ship only had their battery cells changed and not all of them, in order to save money. The Argentine navy thought that quality was not up to standards and they have not been able to find out where they where produced.

There was found a flaw in the batteries, which was reported by the captain of the submarine to the naval base, during the last sign of the members being alive on the 15th of November where 44 members of the crew lost their lives.

The German company Ferrostaal has denied the acquisitions of bribe, while Enersys-hawker never commented on the acquisitions.